“Fragments From the City I Love”, 2024

A recently completed 8x8 foot painting for the lobby of a newly-built office complex in Downtown Sacramento called the May Lee State Office Complex. Commissioned by ZGF Architects.

I had the honor of creating this series of paintings to commemorate William “Bill” Ramos, a fixture in the Sacramento community. I worked closely with his Grandson, Will, to incorporate imagery that represents him in various stages of his life.

Bill was the son of Spanish immigrants and grew up on a farm in the Delta. He served in the Navy during World War II on an aviation gas tanker. He supplied all the fuel to the Sacramento Deep Water Channel project and did it working 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week for years. This kickstarted his business, Ramos Oil, which is still in business 72 years later.

According to Bill, life’s most important lessons were to be kind, compassionate, generous and most of all, to love unconditionally.

I created this series of paintings for the Thelma McMillen Recovery Center in Torrance. The client wanted the pieces to include native flora, fauna and nature elements. I went with a subdued color palette with pops of vibrancy and exposed wood. I also incorporated pencil illustrations and textural patterns. 30” x 30” each, mixed media on wood, 2023. Commissioned by Grigio Art.

My second collection of cutouts, "Out West", includes all groovy things that I associate with the magical and wild West Coast. These little art pieces are hand-cut from sustainably sourced wood and are generally 12” x 12”.

Lately I have been enjoying the process of jigsawing shapes out of wood and creating fun cutout collections. My first collection of cutouts, "Amore", includes people, places and things that evoke the spirit of romanticism. Each piece is hand-cut from sustainably sourced wood and hand-painted. Sizes are generally 12” x 12”. Email me with questions or to purchase.

A large scale project for the lovely lobby of Strategies 360 in Downtown Sacramento. This 8 x 9 foot piece incorporates layers of walnut and birch wood, paint, illustrations and sustainably sourced, preserved moss. 2021.

I was recently commissioned by Starbucks to create an exterior mural at their new store on the Miracle Mile in Stockton, California. This mural spans the length of about 70 feet and incorporates vibrant colors and localized imagery of Stockton’s landmarks, culture, flora and fauna. 2022.

Mural at a private residence in Glen Ellen, CA in Sonoma County. I worked closely with my clients, Julie and Susan, to create a design for their pool house that suits the surroundings, adds pops of color, and incorporates imagery near and dear to them. 2021.

For the annual Wide Open Walls mural festival in Sacramento, a number of artists were selected to create murals throughout the city. I created this mural on the interior of the Urban Hive, a beautiful coworking space. Photos by Nicolette Lovell and Kai Skye.

A series of 7 paintings recently commissioned for the nurse stations at Kaiser Permanente in San Marcos. The client wanted localized nature imagery and colors that suit the interior design of the space. Mixed media on wood. Approximately 3’ x 3’ each. 2022

2019. Fragmented landscapes on organically shaped wood panels.

Painting series commissioned by 1810 Gallery for The California Medical Association’s new building in Sacramento. Mixed media on organically shaped wood panels, approximately 4’ x 4’ each. 2019.

For the annual Wide Open Walls mural festival in Sacramento, a number of artists were selected to create murals throughout the city. I created this mural in the newly renovated office of Strategies 360 at 555 Capitol Mall. The mural spans the length of 5 offices and 50 feet. Mural completed in 2020.

A series of theater-themed cutout paintings for Google Dallas. Commissioned by Met/Gal Art, Austin.

Foot Locker wanted a vibrant and localized mural for their store in Sacramento, California. They requested that the artwork embody local culture, sneaker culture and youth culture. I also incorporated historical elements of Sacramento. The artwork was created digitally and printed on vinyl.

2014 / gouache and pencil on 6 wood panels / 36" x 24"

I was given the wonderful opportunity of creating an original piece of art for use in the lobby of the brand new 980 Central building in West Sacramento, a Fulcrum Property project. This piece is 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall, gouache and pencil on wood panel and it incorporates people, places and things from the city I love…Sacramento!

I was selected, along with my sister, Melinda Arendt, to create stage art for Capital Dance Project’s annual ballet performance. For the visuals we created 2 large classical Greek statues which were composed of wood, paint and Sharpie pens. Added to one of the statues was bendable faux neon. The pieces are now housed at Urban Hive in Sacramento, California.

For Capital Dance Project’s annual “Behind the Barre” performance, 10 local artists were paired with 10 CDP choreographers to create a unique artistic ballet experience. My twin sister, Melinda, and I were selected to collaborate with choreographer Kaori Higashiyama. We wanted to create a stage piece that was vibrant and that paired well with Kaori’s choreographic vision. This was our first time incorporating fabric into our art. Photos by Manny Crisostomo.

For Capital Dance Project’s annual “Behind the Barre” performance, 10 local artists were paired with 10 CDP choreographers to create a unique artistic ballet experience. My twin sister, Melinda, and I were selected to collaborate with choreographer Frances Chae. We wanted to create artwork for the stage that played with reflection, dimension, and the contrast of light and dark.

"This Must Have Been a Wonderful Place," serves as a fragmented record of life on Earth, presenting assorted elements that make it such a fascinating, complex, absurd and cherished place. The title of the series, jumps the viewer to the future and encourages them to reflect on the badassery of the Earth and its inhabitants, and the importance of its survival.

Painting series commissioned by Grigio Art Consultants for Dignity Health’s new building in Citrus Heights. Mixed media on wood panels, 4’ x 3’ each. 2019.

As part of the annual Wide Open Walls mural festival, 10 artists were selected to paint a letter in the word “CALIFORNIA.” I was asked to paint the letter “I.” This mural is on the exterior of the California Automobile Museum in Downtown Sacramento.

Exhibited at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, 2017. More info here

Love spans a legion of bizarre and beautiful stages, and I’ve witnessed most. In “Sympathy for Madness,” I explored the theme of love and focused on the triumphs and tribulations that are associated with these dramatic outpourings of feeling. To be romantic is to have a sympathy for madness. Within my circular “love montages,” I incorporated fragments of expressive classical statues and figures, bold patterns and technically lined pencil drawings to communicate my observations and experiences regarding love and romance.

Exhibited at Roll Up Gallery in San Francisco, 2016.

Exhibited at WAL Public Market Gallery in Sacramento, 2017.

Exhibited at Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for the annual “Enormous Tiny Art” show.

Pieces created for Canon, a new restaurant in East Sacramento. 2017. With this series I incorporated bits and pieces of regional and non-regional culture. I compare the nourishment of these cultural elements to the nourishment of food and drink. Photos by Sarah Marie Hawkins.

As part of their brand new "Rail Arts District," RAD Napa selected a group of artists to create "wraps" for their train utility boxes that run the span of the Wine Train. Photo by Street Art SF

In my "Specimens" series, I seek to display the diversity of Earth's occupants, environments and objects with artistically curated "specimen" samples. Ultimately, my work serves as a fragmented record of life on Earth, presenting assorted components that make it such a fascinating, complex, absurd and cherished place.